Jacob's POV
It was the loud smash of the window as the mangled scissors flew out, far into the garden, which got my attention away from my own sulking. Edward and I both hurried to her side to see if she was okay, if someone was hurting her. When we found Nessie sitting there, incoherent, in a pile of her own rosewood locks we were stunned; sheerings of white cloth strewn around her from the gown she had destroyed. We tried everything to get her to look at us and make a connection, we yelled at her, shook her, dabbed cold water on her face—but she had just become lost within herself. Nothing worked.
There was no more time to waste, we grabbed her things and took an early flight back to America. The most terrifying part about the flight was when I realized that Edward could no longer hear her thoughts. She wasn't having any thoughts. She seemed to be frozen in time within her own perfection. Even with her hair chopped off just below her chin she was still the most beautiful creature on this earth—in the universe. I used to just stare and admire her long rosewood locks as she rested against me. Even with them gone I still find love for ever uneven cut of hair on her shoulder, the sight of her bare neck has become a new fascination.
Arriving at the Cullen's was bitter sweet. Bella was so happy to see her daughter, until she realized what had become of her. While the Cullen's argued in the next room about their next course of action I stayed with Nessie in her… our bedroom.
"Nessie," I sit down on the edge of the bed and watch her glassy eyes gaze off into no where, "baby, wake up." I get no response and sigh deeply, leaning my head down across her lap and tuck my hand into hers; I half expect to feel her little hand wrap around mine but that doesn't happen. "I miss you," I tell her in a soft voice, "even when you were talking to me yesterday I missed you so much. Your laugh is the hardest thing I've had to live without. You know the small chuckle that you try to hide, hopelessly, when I flatter you and you don't want to admit it—I miss that so much. Oh, and the way you look down when you're going to cry, like you're trying to hide the tears," I chuckle. "It doesn't work too well, once you're eyes shut they roll and I just have to wipe them away every time," I mumble to her. "Nessie?" I ask. No response.
I sit up and look down at her, nothing at all. I let out a frustrated groan and walk around the room and find a picture on the table. It's the one of us at La Push… her, Seth and the other guys, me on the end. We're sitting on a lump of drift wood and she is spread out across our laps. She looks around 13, physically. She was tiny then. She was my best friend but since then has turned into so much more. I stare at the picture until my eyes become unfocused and I can see the reflection of the Cullen's behind me, surrounding Nessie.
"Her hair," Alice sighs, her voice is rattled in worry, and Jasper wraps an arm of comfort around her.
"It'll grow back," he assured her. I was about to mention how utterly superficial her concern for Nessie's hair was when I see how distraught Alice's face appears.
Esme enters the room with a steaming cup, "Jacob, I made you some tea," she says bringing me the cup. I must look as bad as I feel.
"Thank you," I say taking a short sip to be polite but put it aside. I cannot be consoled, I will not feel better until I see Nessie sit up and look at me.
"What are we looking at, Carlisle?" Edward asks. I look over at Bella who is standing near the door watching from afar. I walk over to her, she looks so alone. I know that sometimes—most of the time—Edward's mind reading gets on my nerves but I have to admit that every now and then the honesty of it is comforting. Bella's thoughts are all trapped within and locked away for her to suffer on alone.
I open my arms for her and watch her glance at me, almost glare, then break down and move into my embrace. What pain she must be suffering, I don't think Jasper would dare use his comforting manipulation of emotions. Sometimes it's better to feel the pain, it's respectful.
Edward glances over at us once and gives me an appreciative nod then turns his attention back to Carlisle.
"By the looks of it," Carlisle starts off softly, "Nessie isn't well. I've always suspected that her unfulfilled need for human contact might lead her toward an unhealthy mental state, no offence Jacob."
I nod, I can hardly be considered human.
"Nessie was doing fine before Aro forced her into a marriage with Foxworth," Bella says sourly.
"If she was doing fine she would have never run away the first time," Rosalie said from her silent corner where she was sitting on Emmet's lap. Emmet was just as silent.
"She came back and she was doing better," Edward argued, "she had Jacob and she was happy," he says sternly, I don't think I'll ever get used to Edward's approval.
"Look, everyone!" Carlisle speaks up to try and deter everyone from bickering, "we all know that Nessie's raising was not orthodox by any means, she could hardly hold a normal relationship with children of her kind. We all did our best and sometimes it's just not enough. Everyone deals with what they are given in life differently."
"I don't believe that for one second," I drop my embrace around Bella and sit next to Nessie again, "Nessie is strong."
"Everyone has their limits, Jacob," Carlisle pats my shoulder but I nudge his hand away.
"Jacob, perhaps you should go for a run," Edward suggests. It has been a very long time since I've phased. I think Edward can sense my frustrations and honestly it would feel good to stretch my legs. Without answering I just give a nod and head out the window, I would have used the door but I've become accustomed to entering in and out of Nessie's life like this for the past so many years. I set my clothing aside in the special hiding place, out back, and explode from my skin and start to run through the woods. I let my animal side take me over and the forest becomes my own, I own it and everything within it.
Time slows and as I run at an uncontrolled pace my thoughts become clear and un-jumbled. I think of Nessie and the way that things were before all this started; before she ran away, before she grew up into my one and only thought, before she was taken from me.
"What are you moping about?" I see Nessie sitting at the foot of my driveway. She turns to look up at me and I notice something about her face. She has changed again. Just yesterday I saw her and she was the physical age of a 10 year old now she looks just on the brink of turning into a teenager, perhaps 13 or even 14. The thought makes me smile—Edward must be flipping. I find it amusing how each and every time Nessie gets bigger her bed gets smaller. She used to be the tiny thing sleeping in the center of a king sized mattress, last time I saw her it was a twin sized bed; no doubt any time now it'll be downgraded to a single.
"Oh, you know… this and that," she says and pokes the damp, sandy drive with a stick and watches how the ground lifts like brown sugar that has been packed down and left to sit too long.
"This and that… yeah, I have my own share of this and that," I smile a little and sit next to her and just watch her, "you're beautiful, you know," I tell her and push the locks of her gorgeous hair over her shoulder so I can see that face which has become less full, like a child and more angular like a woman.
"Thank you," Nessie's cheeks become that special shade of pink and I decide that it would be safe to change the subject right now.
"Are you going to tell me what is on your mind?" I ask her and pick up a stick and start lifting the sandy ground as she does.
"My dad… you know how he is," he whispers and I wait for her to continue. "He said that we shouldn't see each other as much anymore. He thinks that we need time a part."
I feel anger start to build up in me. How dare he try and keep us apart! I force the anger down. I push it down until it is neatly tucked away for later when I will confront Edward about this. "Well he can't stop me from seeing you," I reply to her worried comment and run my finger over the promise bracelet that was snug fitting across her small wrist.
"I heard him and mom talking about moving to another town," Nessie said, watching as my finger traced the weaving of the braided promise bracelet.
"Where ever you go, I follow—that's how it'll always be," I said to her, dropping my hand from her wrist. "How'd you get here?" I just realized that I never heard a car.
"I walked," she replied simply and I felt my stomach twist.
"Nessie, anything could have happened."
"It didn't," she replied and poked the ground again.
I took the stick away from her hand, "I don't like that Nessie, if you ever need to get away and come to me… and no one is willing to take you then you call me and I'll come get you," I promise her.
"But you don't have a cell phone," she refutes.
"I'll get one," I feel a slight tickle on my hand. If feels like a stray hair is gliding across it. I look down to realize that a spider had crawled up the stick that I snatched away from Nessie and was creeping across my hand. Surprised by the invader I lightly shook my hand to dislodge it. The little creature bit me, "ouch!" I flick it away.
"You scared it," Nessie frowned and I scratched at the bite. "Was that a poisonous spider?"
"I don't know. Probably just the kind that makes you itchy," I reply.
"Do you want to put it in a jar?" she asks me.
"Yeah—that'll teach it!"
Nessie laughs at my enthusiasm, holding her side, "no silly, incase we need it to brew an antidote."
I stop dead in my tracks… antidote… spiders… vampires… venom. Nessie was poisoned; the joint pain and back ache, the hysteria and paralysis. How in the hell didn't I think of this before? I look around, how far have I run? I don't know but somehow I know exactly where I am. I turn around and run back to the Cullen's art full force. Female Halflings don't have venom; she could never be immune to its affect. The power of the wind against my face pulling on my skin and fur feels incredible. My four legs thumping against the forest floor has turned into a constant hum, I need to get back to my Nessie before it is too late. I don't know how much time she has but now I know what needs to be done. I finally make it back to the Cullen's and grab my jeans from my hiding place, pulling them on and abandoning the rest of my clothing. I know exactly where I am going.
I find him there in the living room, staring out the glass; the son of a bitch that has made my life a living hell since the moment he stepped into it. A growls rumbles in my chest and before he has time to register my presence I grab the pale son of a bitch and knock him into the wall with so much force the house shakes. In that moment I find myself surrounded by Nessie's family, growling at my side. Edward must have heard my thoughts and informed the others because they are definitely on my side.
"What the fu-," Fox begins but I cut him off.
"Shut up!" I yell at him and hold him against the wall with one arm pinned horizontally against his neck, "listen up and listen good, you're going to leave here and never come back. I don't care where the hell you go but you're not going to show your face around here again. Do you understand me? And if I do ever see you near Nessie again I will not hesitate to rip you limb from limb and burn the pieces," I snap at him, he stays frozen against the wall.
"I understand," he is outnumbered and he knows it.
"Good… oh, but before you go," I whisper in a dangerous voice and feel a small glass cup placed in my other free hand by a cold hand, "you might want to fill this with some venom."
You guys rock, I really have the best readers because your comments are always so full of sweet things that make me want to right more for you. I have more in store for Nessie and Jacob on the way so hold onto your hats. ^^